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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. staff — employees
  3. row — a line
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. bear — the animal
  9. wake — a trail
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. date — the fruit
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. row — to paddle
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. bear — the animal
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. staff — a stick

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com